Correlates of physical activity among First Nations children residing in First Nations communities in Canada.
Janssen, Ian ; Levesque, Lucie ; Xu, Fei 等
Recent estimates, which are based on objective measures of physical
activity from the 2007-2009 Canadian Health Measures Survey, indicate
that only one in ten school-aged children in Canada meet the current
public health guideline of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous
physical activity (MVPA). (1) While little is known about the physical
activity levels of Aboriginal children, (2) including the First Nations
population, the data that are available suggest that inactivity in these
groups is a concern. For instance, a recent study of self-reported MVPA
from 204 on-reserve 10-16 year olds found that only 14% of boys and 4%
of girls met public health guidelines for MVPA. (3)
Numerous mental, emotional, spiritual and physical problems in
First Nations peoples may be related to an inactive lifestyle. (4-6) A
lack of physical activity in First Nations children is of particular
concern as they are disproportionately disadvantaged economically and
socially through poverty, inadequate housing and low educational
achievement. (7) Children deprived of opportunities for participation in
physical activity are not only at higher risk for negative physical and
psychosocial outcomes, but are also being denied the prospect to become
fully enabled for life (8) and to live in balance. (5)
In order to develop evidence-based interventions to foster positive
physical activity habits in First Nations children, it is necessary to
understand the factors that influence physical activity behaviour. (9)
Behaviour theories and models provide a systematic framework for
examining the factors that influence a behaviour such as MVPA. (10)
Ecological models are commonly used in the physical activity literature.
(10,11) These ecological models postulate that physical activity is
influenced by factors at multiple levels, including intrapersonal (e.g.,
age, gender, cultural beliefs), interpersonal (e.g., relationships and
characteristics of family) and community levels (e.g., social and
economic conditions, facilities and programs). (12) There is a lack of
research on the determinants of physical activity among First Nations
children who reside in First Nations communities.
The purpose of the current study was to examine independent
associations between intrapersonal factors, family factors and community
factors with physical activity among First Nations school-aged children
residing in First Nations communities. These associations were assessed
in the 2008/10 First Nations Regional Health Survey (RHS), a nationally
representative sample of First Nations persons who reside in on-reserve
and northern First Nations communities across Canada.
METHODS
Survey and participants
A detailed description of the RHS can be found elsewhere. (13)
Briefly, the RHS addresses a holistic range of priority health issues
for First Nations. It was overseen by the First Nations Information
Governance Centre (FNIGC). The questionnaires were completed between
2008 and 2010 via in-person interviews using a Computer Assisted
Personal Interview (CAPI) system administered by local field workers. A
primary caregiver completed the questionnaire (~22 minutes) for child
participants.
A total of 3,184 children aged 6-11 years were included in the RHS.
The total population represented in the final MVPA analysis was 43,605
persons, which accounted for 89% of 6-11 year old First Nations children
living in on-reserve and northern First Nations communities. The
corresponding numbers for the traditional activities analysis were
45,116 and 92% respectively. The RHS was designed to represent the First
Nations population living in First Nations communities (e.g., on-reserve
and in northern Canada above the 60th parallel) in all provinces and
territories, except Nunavut. Overall, 216 communities were included and
5.3% of the target population was surveyed. The response rate was 72.5%.
The RHS sample design incorporated a two-stage sampling strategy.
The first stage involved the selection of communities to participate in
the survey. Initially, all First Nations communities in Canada were
stratified by region, subregion and community size [large (1,500+
people), medium (300-1,499 people) and small (<300 people)]. Large
communities were automatically included, while medium and small
communities were randomly selected with equal probability within their
respective strata. When a randomly selected community chose not to
participate, it was replaced randomly with another community in the same
subregion and size grouping.
The second stage of sampling pertained to the selection of
individuals within participating communities. All community members were
identified using band membership lists. Community members were randomly
selected within age/gender groups from these lists. When a selected
community member chose not to participate, a substitution was made from
the ordered randomly generated list. The sampling rate within each
community was determined as a function of the overall subregion
probability (within regions) and the probability of selection of the
community (within subregion). Individual responses were weighted, using
Indian and North American Affairs Canada registry counts, to reflect the
representation of the population by the sample.
Intrapersonal factors
Demographics: Gender and age categories were considered. The
mid-point of the age range defined the two age categories (6-8 and 9-11
years). Age was categorized to be consistent with the categorical nature
of the remaining correlates.
First Nations Language: Use of First Nations language was grouped
as follows: 'does not understand/speak a First Nations
language', 'understands/speaks a First Nations language but
does not use most often in daily life' and 'use of a First
Nations language most often in daily life'.
First Nations Culture: Importance of First Nations culture was
assessed by asking "How important are traditional cultural events
in your child's life?" Response options were 'very
important', 'somewhat important', 'not very
important' and 'not important'.
School Attendance: This was grouped as 'yes' or
'no' based on school attendance at the time of survey
completion.
Chronic Conditions: Respondents were asked whether their child had
the following chronic health conditions: arthritis, chronic back pain,
rheumatism, osteoporosis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, serious
vision problems not correctable with glasses (e.g., cataracts, glaucoma,
blindness), hearing impairment, epilepsy, psychological or nervous
disorders, cognitive or mental disability, Attention Deficit
Disorder/Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, learning disability,
heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, thyroid problems, cancer,
liver disease, stomach or intestinal problems, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis,
tuberculosis or diabetes. The number of chronic conditions was summed
and participants were placed into the following groups: '0',
'1', '2' and '[greater than or equal to]3'
chronic conditions.
Family factors
Family Structure: Parental structure in the home was grouped as
follows: 'living with both biological parents', 'living
with one biological parent' or 'living with no biological
parents'. The number of people living within the household
(excluding the respondent) was grouped as '<3', '3 or
4', '5 or 6' or '[greater than or equal to]7'.
Family Socio-economic Status: The parents'/guardians'
highest level of education was grouped as '<high school',
'high school graduate' or 'any post-secondary
education'.
Family Culture: Respondents were asked "Who helps your child
in understanding their culture?", with check boxes provided for
several people, including parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles and other
relatives. Based on the number of relative groups selected, participants
were placed into the following groups: '0 relatives', '1
relative', '2 relatives' or '[greater than or equal
to]3 relatives'.
Community factors
Community Size: Based on the community of residence, participants
were considered to live within a small (<300 people), a medium
(300-1,499 people) or a large sized ([greater than or equal to]1,500
people) First Nations community.
Community Culture: The number of community members who help the
child understand their culture was assessed by asking "Who helps
your child understand their culture?", with the following list
provided: school teachers, community elders, and other community
members. Positive responses for each item were given 1 point and
negative responses 0 points. Points were summed to create the following
groups: '0', '1', '2' and '[greater
than or equal to]3' community members.
Physical activity
Respondents were asked to report whether or not their child had
participated in 20 different common physical activities over the
previous 12 months, including activities that reflect First Nations
culture and tradition (e.g., berry picking, hunting/trapping, fishing,
canoeing). For each activity, they were asked to report on the frequency
and the typical duration of participation. This information was used to
estimate the typical weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical
activity (MVPA). Because bowling and berry picking fall below the
moderate intensity range (i.e., <4 times higher than resting energy
expenditure), (14) these activities were removed before summing the
activities to determine the average daily minutes of MVPA. Children were
placed into two groups based on adherence to the MVPA guideline of 60
minutes per day: 'physically inactive' and 'physically
active'. (15) Finally, to examine physical activity participation
through a cultural lens, a 'yes' or 'no' group was
created with regard to participation in at least one of the following
traditional First Nations physical activities: berry picking,
hunting/trapping, fishing, and canoeing/kayaking.
Statistical analysis
Analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Complex Samples. All
analyses took into account the multi-stage stratified design of the RHS
by incorporating the design information into the models to adjust for
the disproportionate sampling and cluster sampling. Initially,
descriptive statistics were calculated for the study variables. Next,
bivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine whether
each of the intrapersonal, family and community factor variables
predicted each of the physical activity outcomes (e.g., accumulate
[greater than or equal to]60 min/day of MVPA, participate in traditional
physical activities). This was followed by multivariate logistic
regression analysis. Three steps were used to determine the final
multivariate model. In the first step, all of the intrapersonal factors
were added to the model. These factors were only retained for the second
step if they were significantly (p[less than or equal to]0.20) related
to the physical activity outcomes. In the second step, the family
factors were added to the model. The factors that were significantly
(p[less than or equal to]0.20) related to the physical activity outcomes
in step 2 were retained for step 3. In the third step, the community
factors were added to the model and all factors that were significantly
(p[less than or equal to]0.20) related to the physical activity outcomes
were retained to create the final model. Because the analyses were
exploratory, we selected a p[less than or equal to]0.20 to ensure that
all potential factors would be included in the final multivariate model,
after controlling for other variables in subsequent steps.
RESULTS
A description of the First Nations child population is provided in
Table 1. The majority of First Nations children have no chronic health
conditions (59%), attend school (99%), at least partially understand and
use a First Nations language (56%), live with at least one of their
biological parents (89%), and live in a community with 300-1,499 people
(52%). Based on parent reports, 72% of First Nations children engage in
an average of at least 60 minutes/day of MVPA and 54% engaged in at
least one traditional First Nations physical activity in the previous
year.
The associations between intrapersonal, family and community
factors and participation in [greater than or equal to]60 minutes/day of
MVPA are shown in Table 2. After controlling for the other variables in
the multivariate model, the odds ratio (OR) of being physically active
were higher in 9-11 year olds (OR=1.34), children living in households
with more people (OR=1.38, OR=1.30 and OR=1.71 for 3-4, 5-6 and [greater
than or equal to]7 people in household respectively), and children who
had community members helping them understand their culture (OR=1.36,
OR=1.97 and OR=3.01 for 1, 2 and [greater than or equal to] 3 community
members respectively). None of the other intrapersonal, family or
community factors was a significant independent predictor of engaging in
an average of [greater than or equal to]60 minutes/day of MVPA.
Table 3 shows the associations between intrapersonal, family and
community factors and participation in traditional First Nations
physical activities (e.g., berry picking, hunting/trapping, fishing,
canoeing/kayaking). The significant independent predictors among the
intrapersonal factors were school attendance (OR=2.27) and understand
and use a First Nations language most often in daily life (OR=1.65). As
for the family factors, the multivariate analyses revealed that children
with a parent with at least some post-secondary education had an
increased odds (OR=1.33) of participating in a traditional First Nations
physical activity in the year prior to the survey. At the community
level, OR increased for children from smaller communities (OR=1.49 for
communities with 300-1,499 people, OR=2.30 for communities with <300
people) and for children who had more community members help them
understand their culture (OR=2.14 for 2 community members, OR=1.83 for
[greater than or equal to]3 community members).
DISCUSSION
Results from the RHS suggest that when averaged across all days of
the year, 72% of First Nations children accumulate at least 60
minutes/day of MVPA. This statistic is encouraging given the many health
benefits associated with physical activity. However, this should not be
interpreted as meaning that the majority of First Nations children meet
Canadian (15) or global (16) physical activity guidelines, both of which
recommend that school-aged children accumulate 60 minutes of MVPA on a
daily basis, as accumulating 60 minutes on a daily basis is not the same
as averaging 60 minutes over several days. The importance of this
distinction is highlighted in findings from the 2007-2009 Canadian
Health Measures Survey, which measured MVPA objectively using
accelerometers. The findings from that survey indicate that the average
daily MVPA in the mainstream 6-10 year old population is 62 minutes/day,
but that only 11% of these children accumulate 60 minutes of MVPA on a
daily basis and meet physical activity guidelines. (1) Similarly,
Lemstra and colleagues found that only 6% of a small sample of 10-12
year old Saskatoon Tribal Council First Nations on-reserve children met
physical activity guidelines. (3)
Apart from age, with children aged 9-11 years being more likely to
be active than 6-8 year olds, no other intrapersonal factors were
associated with MVPA in First Nations children. Approximately 10% of
First Nations children had more than one chronic condition and 1% did
not attend school; the smaller proportion of these risk factors in the
study may in part explain why they were not significant correlates of
MVPA or traditional physical activities.
Consistent with previous reviews that have included social and
environmental factors, (17) many of the family-level and community-level
factors examined in our analyses of First Nations children were not
consistently independently associated with MVPA or traditional physical
activities. Cultural factors at each of these levels were most
consistently associated with MVPA and traditional First Nations physical
activities; both factors reflected the number of people (i.e., family
and community members) who help the child understand their culture. In
general, children with more cultural support were more likely to be
active and children with less cultural support were less likely to be
active. This finding is compatible with related research showing that
culture is important in understanding health and health behaviours in
First Nations youth and adults. (5,18) This finding warrants further
investigation given that parent/guardian perceptions of the importance
of traditional cultural events in their child's life was not
independently associated with MVPA or traditional physical activities.
Physical activity is often perceived as good medicine among
Aboriginal peoples, and traditional activities are considered especially
relevant in this regard. (6) To this end, our findings suggest that 54%
of First Nations children engaged in a traditional First Nations
physical activity in the year prior to the survey. Two of the five
factors that were significant independent predictors of involvement in
traditional physical activities were about culture. Specifically,
knowledge of a First Nations language and high levels of community
cultural support emerged as being the relevant predictors of
participation in traditional physical activity. It may be that
traditional physical activities are pursued as a way to preserve and
promote traditional cultural practices in general. (6)
The current analysis provides new insight into physical activity
correlates among 6-11 year olds living in First Nations on-reserve
communities and has applications for future research and for designing
interventions. By focusing on First Nations children, this analysis
conforms to recommendations that research of Aboriginal health and
health behaviours focus on specific Aboriginal groups, rather than
grouping First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples together. (19) The
findings also confirm the relevance of examining correlates of physical
activity using an ecological lens. (17) This ecological view provides
insight into the design of interventions for promoting an active
lifestyle among First Nations children. Specifically, the findings imply
that physical activity interventions are more likely to be successful if
they include components that address intrapersonal, interpersonal and
community factors.
Some limitations should be acknowledged. Parent-reported physical
activity is known to be over-reported and only modestly correlated to
physical activity measured objectively using accelerometers and heart
rate monitoring. (20) Thus, the proportion of First Nations children
meeting the [greater than or equal to]60 minutes/day MVPA target was
likely lower than what was reported here, and the association between
the 12 independent variables and the 2 physical activity outcomes were
likely underestimated. Specificity about the types of traditional
activities performed was also lost in this analysis because response
options for berry picking, hunting/trapping, fishing, and
canoeing/kayaking were grouped. Given the important differences in
energy expenditure required to engage in these activities, (21,22)
future research should consider distinguishing between activity types.
In addition, traditional activities such as drumming and traditional
dancing were not measured within the context of physical activity.
Finally, analyses were constrained by the limitations inherent in the
secondary analysis of surveillance data.
In conclusion, correlates of physical activity among First Nations
children residing in First Nations communities in Canada were examined
using an ecological analysis. Participation in MVPA and traditional
First Nations physical activities was affected by multiple
intrapersonal, interpersonal and environmental factors. Having multiple
community members helping the child understand their culture was a
particularly strong correlate of both MVPA and traditional physical
activities.
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Received: May 1, 2014 Accepted: September 15, 2014
Ian Janssen, PhD, [1,2] Lucie Levesque, PhD, [1] Fei Xu, PhD [3]
and the First Nations Information Governance Centre [3]
Author Affiliations
[1.] School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's
University, Kingston, ON
[2.] Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University,
Kingston, ON
[3.] First Nations Information Governance Centre, Ottawa, ON
Correspondence: Ian Janssen, School of Kinesiology and Health Studies,
Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Tel: 613-533-6000,
ext.78631,
E-mail:
[email protected]
Source of support: Funding was provided by the First Nations
Information Governance Centre.
Conflict of Interest: Ian Janssen and Lucie Levesque received
consulting fees from the First Nations Information Governance Centre.
Fei Xu is employed by the First Nations Information Governance Centre.
Table 1. Description of 6-11 year old child participants of
the 2008/10 First Nations Regional Health Survey
Variable N % of total
Age (years)
6-8 1550 47.5
9-11 1634 52.5
Gender
Female 1625 50.8
Male 1556 49.2
Physical activity
[greater than 2087 71.8
or equal to]
60 min/day of
moderate-to-
vigorous
activity
Participate in 1734 53.6
traditional
First Nations
activities
Number of chronic
conditions
0 2175 59.2
1 679 20.4
2 203 6.5
[greater than 124 3.9
or equal to] 3
Attend school
No 24 0.8
Yes 3145 99.2
Knowledge of First
Nations
language
Do not 1383 43.5
understand
or speak
Understand but 1017 33.3
do not use
most often
Understand and 690 23.2
use most
often in
daily life
Parental structure
Live with no 325 11.1
biological
parents
Live with 1 1386 43.4
biological
parent
Live with both 1473 45.5
biological
parents
Community size
< 300 people 436 6.2
300-1,499 people 1737 51.7
[greater than 1011 42.2
or equal to]
1,500 people
Table 2. Associations between intrapersonal, family and community
factors and participation in 60 min/day of moderate/to/vigorous
physical activity in 6/11 year old child participants of the
2008/10 First Nations Regional Health Survey
Variable % Bivariate Multivariate OR
OR (95% CI) * (95% CI)
([dagger])
Intrapersonal
factors
Age (years)
6-8 68.7 1 l(referent) 1 (referent)
9-11 74.6 1.34 (1.10-1.63) # 1.34 (1.11-1.62) #
Gender
Female 70.3 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
Male 73.3 1.15 (1.15-1.41) 1.17 (0.96-1.43)
Number of
chronic
conditions
0 71.6 1 (referent) N/A
1 72.8 1.06 (0.83-1.37)
2 71.6 1.00 (0.59-1.69)
[greater 70.7 0.96 (0.61-1.52)
than or
equal to] 3
Attend school
No 65.2 1 (referent) N/A
Yes 71.8 1.36 (0.51-3.63)
Knowledge
of First
Nations
language
Do not 68.9 1 (referent) N/A
understand
or speak
Understand 71.9 1.15 (0.88-1.51)
and use most
often in
daily life
Understand 74.8 1.34 (1.04-1.72) #
but do not
use most
often
Importance of
First Nations
culture
Not important 75.3 1 (referent) N/A
Not very 67.7 0.69 (0.35-1.34)
important
Somewhat 69.7 0.76 (0.44-1.29)
important
Very important 72.8 0.88 (0.52-1.48)
Family factors
Parental
structure
Live with no 64.4 1 (referent) N/A
biological
parents
Live with 1 73.7 1.41 (0.99-1.99) #
biological
parent
Live with both 71.8 1.55 (1.06-2.27) #
biological
parents
# People in
household
(excluding
child)
< 3 62.2 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
3-4 64.1 1.26 (0.92-1.69) 1.38 (1.01-1.89) #
5-6 68.0 1.25 (0.91-1.73) 1.30 (0.94-1.81)
[greater 72.5 1.60 (1.02-2.50) # 1.71 (1.12-2.63) #
than or
equal to] 7
Parental education
< High school 66.3 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
graduate
High school 68.2 1.25 (0.96-1.64) # 1.27 (0.97-1.67)
graduate
[greater than 64.2 0.92 (0.72-1.16) 0.88 (0.69-1.13)
or equal to]
Some post-
secondary
# Relatives who
help child
understand
culture
0 74.8 1 (referent)
1 64.1 0.60 (0.41-0.90) #
2 70.2 0.80 (0.52-1.23)
[graeter than 76.2 1.08 0.73-1.60)
or equal to] 3
Community Factors
Community size
[greater than 69.9 1 (referent)
or equal to]
1,500 people
300-1,499 people 73.2 1.18 (0.92-1.50)
< 300 people 72.7 1.15 (0.78-1.68) N/A
# Community members
who help child
understand
culture
0 66.1 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
1 71.4 1.26 (0.99-1.60) 1.36 (1.08-1.72) #
2 77.1 1.70 (1.20-2.41) # 1.97 (1.40-2.77) #
[greater than 82.8 2.43 (1.64-3.59) # 3.01 (2.04-4.45) #
or equal to] 3
* Bivariate odds ratio (95% confidence interval).
([dagger]) Multivariate odds ratio (95% confidence interval)
adjusted for other intrapersonal, family and community factors.
N/A = not applicable as variable not included in final
multivariate model.
Bold numbers indicate statistically significant odds ratios (p <
0.05).
Note: The statistically significant odds ratios (p < 0.05) are
indicated with #.
Table 3. Associations between intrapersonal, family and community
factors and participation in traditional First Nations physical
activities in 6/11 year old child participants of the 2008/10
First Nations Regional Health Survey
Variable % Bivariate Multivariate
OR (95% CI) * OR (95% CI)
([dagger])
Intrapersonal factors
Age (years)
6-8 53.1 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
9-11 54.1 1.04 (0.87-1.24) 1.03 (0.85-1.24)
Gender
Female 55.7 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
Male 51.5 0.84 (0.70-1.02) 0.86 (0.70-1.05)
Number of
chronic
conditions
0 51.8 1 (referent) N/A
1 57.2 1.24 (0.98-1.57)
2 58.6 1.30 (0.83-2.02)
[greater than 60.3 1.41 (0.93-2.14)
or equal to] 3
Attend school
No 24.5 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
Yes 53.8 3.60 (1.16-8.00) # 2.27 (1.07-4.79)
Knowledge of
First Nations
language
Do not 46.8 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
understand
or speak
Understand and 60.6 1.75 (1.38-2.22) # 1.65 (1.28-2.13)
use most often
in daily life
Understand but 55.7 1.43 (1.11-1.84) # 1.30 (0.99-1.71)
do not use
most often
Importance of First
Nations culture
Not important 51.3 1 (referent) N/A
Not very important 46.8 0.83 (0.49-1.42)
Somewhat important 50.5 0.97 (0.60-1.56)
Very important 57.3 1.27 (0.81-1.99)
Family factors
Parental structure
Live with no 48.4 1 (referent) N/A
biological
parents
Live with 1 54.8 1.29 (0.93-1.80)
biological
parent
Live with both 53.8 1.24 (0.91-1.69)
biological
parents
# People in
household
(excluding
child)
< 3 39.9 1 (referent) N/A
3-4 42.2 1.05 (0.84-1.31)
5-6 41.2 0.94 (0.74-1.21)
[greater than 37.9 1.19 (0.86-1.65)
or equal to] 7
Parental education
< High school 36.0 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
graduate
High school 39.2 1.02 (0.80-1.30) 0.90 (0.70-1.16)
graduate
[greater than 50.3 1.43 (1.13-1.80) # 1.33 (1.05-1.68) #
or equal to]
Some post-
secondary
# Relatives who
help child
understand
culture
0 42.4 1 (referent) N/A
1 48.3 1.27 (0.88-1.81)
2 53.3 1.55 (1.08-2.23) #
[greater than 59.5 2.00 (1.37-2.91) #
or equal to] 3
Community factors
Community size
[greater than 47.7 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
or equal to]
1,500 people
300-1,499 people 56.9 1.45 (1.15-1.83) # 1.49 (1.17-1.89) #
< 300 people 66.6 2.19 (1.63-2.93) # 2.30 (1.67-3.17) #
# Community members
who help child
understand
culture
0 45.8 1 (referent) 1 (referent)
1 52.4 1.30 (1.02-1.65) # 1.17 (0.92-1.49)
2 67.4 2.45 (1.79-3.33) # 2.14 (1.53-2.98) #
[greater than 63.4 2.05 (1.38-3.03) # 1.83 (1.22-2.75) #
or equal to] 3
* Bivariate odds ratio (95% confidence interval).
([dagger]) Multivariate odds ratio (95% confidence interval)
adjusted for other intrapersonal, family and community factors.
N/A = not applicable as variable not included in final
multivariate model.
Bold numbers indicate statistically significant odds ratios (p <
0.05).
Note: The statistically significant odds ratios (p < 0.05) are
indicated with #.